First Person: Audrey

"HHHEEEYYY!" I called, waving to the members of the ship. I grabbed Emily's hand and then flew us up to the ship by turning my feet to water to fly. I had to admit, the Argo II definitely didn't look friendly. Two hundred feet long, with a bronze-plated hull, mounted repeating crossbows fore and aft, a flaming metal dragon for a figurehead, and two rotating ballistae amidships that could fire explosive bolts powerful enough to blast through concrete…well, it wasn't the most appropriate ride for a meet-and-greet with the neighbors. The Celestial bronze shields along the rail were enchanted to ward off monsters, and this thing was awesome, even if it did look a bit intimidating.

On the stern quarterdeck, Leo rushed around like a madman, checking gauges and wrestling levers. Most helmsmen would've been satisfied with a pilot's wheel or a tiller, but Leo had also installed a keyboard, monitor, aviation controls from a Learjet, a dub-step soundboard, and motion-control sensors from a Nintendo Wii. He could turn the ship by pulling on the throttle, fire weapons by sampling an album, or raise the sails by shaking his Wii controllers really fast. Even by demigod standards, Leo was seriously ADHD.

Annabeth was pacing on the deck of the flying warship, Piper pacing back and forth between the mainmast and the ballistae, muttering lines to convince the Romans to stand down. I'd forgotten how powerful her charm speak was, and I wanted to stand down, drop my weapons and have a nice long chat. Even after only one week of being without it, I'd lost whatever immunity I'd had to a full blown, Aphrodite charm speaker. Piper was still downplaying her beauty as always, wearing tattered jeans, worn-out sneakers, and a white tank top with pink Hello Kitty designs. Her choppy brown hair was braided down the right side with an eagle's feather.

Jason was standing at the bow on the raised crossbow platform, where the Romans could easily spot him. His knuckles were white on the hilt of his golden sword, but otherwise, he looked calm for a guy who was making himself a target. Over his jeans and orange Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, he'd donned a toga and a purple cloak - symbols of his rank as praetor. He looked all serious and like a leader, contrary to the regular teenager I'd gotten to know back at Camp Half-Blood. He could be serious when he wanted to, as a son of Jupiter should be, but underneath he was really a nice guy, and in the end, he was still a teenager.

The horns of the camp were sounding, and I realized that flying up here to meet them might not have looked like a good idea from the Roman's perspective. Emily and I landed on the deck anyways. Too late to turn back now.

"Hey!" Emily said. "How've you guys been? Feels like it's been ages, even after just a week. Wait till you guys see New Rome. I mean, it's seen better days after yesterday's battle - fun story, tell you later. Anyway, you guys are finally here!"

"Hey guys," Piper said. "Where are Zy and Veon?"

"Still down there with the senate members," I said. "Oh, I got a trident!" Suddenly there was a large BOOM! like an explosion, and I realized that Terminus had suddenly exploded into existence onto the ship.

"Unacceptable!" He shrieked. "I will not have weapons inside the Pomerian Line! I certainly will not have Greeks!"

"Terminus!" Emily scolded. "I thought we'd made it clear that we were Greeks, too! The new praetor is a Greek! You shouldn't judge."

"Terminus, it's me, Jason Grace."

"Oh, I remember you, Jason!" Terminus grumbled. "I thought you had better sense than to consort with the enemies of Rome!"

"But they're not enemies-"

"That's right," Piper jumped in. "We just want to talk. If we could-"

"Ha!" Snapped the statue. "Don't try that charm speak on me, young lady. And put down that dagger before I slap it out of your hands!" Piper glanced at her bronze dagger, which she'd apparently forgotten she was holding.

"Um…okay. But how would you slap it? You don't have any arms."

"Impertinence!" There was a sharp POP and a flash of yellow. Piper yelled and dropped the dagger, which was now smoking and sparkling. "Lucky for you I've just been through a battle. If I were at full strength, I would've blasted this flying monstrosity out of the sky already!"

"Terminus, we have orders from both praetors to stand down and not attack," I said.

"Hold up," Leo said, stepping forward, wagging his Wii controller. "Did you just call my ship a monstrosity? I know you didn't do that."

"Uh, Leo, Terminus is a god of boundaries," Emily said. "He doesn't like weapons. Trust me, he calls every dagger and sword a monstrosity."

"Jason told us you protect the city of New Rome, right?" Annabeth said, holding her hands up to show she had no weapons. "I'm Annabeth Chase, daughter of-"

"Oh, I know who you are!" Terminus said, glaring at her with his blank eyes. "A child of Athena, Minerva's Greek form. Scandalous! You Greeks have no sense of decency. We Romans know the proper place for that goddess."

"Terminus, please be more respectful," Emily said. "Clearly, you've missed the last senate meeting, but we've discussed that there is nothing to suggest the Greeks are currently enemies of Rome. Though they were in the past, this is a new generation of demigods who aren't defined by their ancestors."

"Wait, what do you mean, that goddess?" Annabeth asked. "And what's so scandalous about-?"

"Right!" Jason interrupted. "Anyway, Terminus, we're here on a mission of peace. We'd love permission to land so we can-"

"Impossible!" The god squeaked. "Lay down your weapons and surrender! Leave my city immediately!"

"Which is it?" Leo asked. "Surrender or leave?"

"Both! Surrender, then leave. I am slapping your face for asking such a stupid question, you ridiculous boy! Do you feel that?"

"Wow." Leo studied Terminus with professional interest. "You're wound up pretty tight. You got any gears in there that need loosening? I could take a look." He exchanged the Wii controller for a screwdriver from his magic tool belt and tapped the statue's pedestal.

"Uh, Leo, you might not want to-" I began.

"Stop that!" Terminus insisted. Another small explosion made Leo drop his screwdriver. "Weapons are not allowed on Roman soil inside the Pomerian Line."

"The what?" Piper asked.

"The city limits," Jason translated.

"And this entire ship is a weapon!" Terminus said. "You cannot land!" Annabeth looked down to the valley and her face lit up. She must've spotted Percy.

"Leo, stop the ship," She ordered.

"What?"

"You heard me. Keep us right where we are." Leo pulled out his controller and yanked it upward. All ninety oars froze in place and the ship stopped sinking. "Terminus, there's no rule against hovering over New Rome, is there?" The statue frowned.

"No…"

"Then we can keep the ship aloft and use a rope ladder to reach the forum. That way, the ship won't be on Roman soil, not technically." The statue pondered this, and I imagined him scratching his chin with his imaginary hands.

"I like technicalities, but still…"

"All our weapons will stay aboard the ship. I assume the Romans - even those reinforcements marching toward us - will also have to honor your rules inside the Pomerian Line if you tell them to?"

"Of course! Do I look like I tolerate rule breakers?"

"Uh, Annabeth? Are you sure this is a good idea?" Leo asked.

"It'll be fine," Emily said. "No one will be armed and we can talk in peace. Terminus will make sure everyone abides by the rules."

"So do we have an agreement?" Annabeth asked. Terminus sniffed.

"I suppose. For now. You may climb down your ladder to New Rome, daughter of Athena. Please try not to destroy my town." We headed down, a sea of hastily assembled demigods parting for us as we walked through the forum. At the far end of the crowd, I saw Tyson and Mrs. O'Leary, Tyson still wearing his SPQR banner/bib. The demigods made way for Reyna, and I saw her and Annabeth giving each other that look of confidence as though ready to take on any challenge. Annabeth and Reyna were surprisingly similar, forcing looks of courage while holding back a mixture of hopefulness and worry and fear that she couldn't show in public. The others fanned out on either side of Annabeth, and I saw Romans murmuring about Jason.

When Percy walked into vision, Annabeth narrowed in on him and froze. I wasn't Emily and I wasn't an expert on emotions, but from what I can guess, I'd say that Percy's disappearance had made Annabeth miss him more than ever. You love things the most when they're gone, when they aren't promised eternity with you. Seeing him again, Annabeth must've been exploding with joy and shock, if her face was any indication. Meanwhile Reyna straightened, reluctantly turning to Jason. The tension between those two had to be high.

"Jason Grace, my former colleague…" She spoke the word "colleague" like it was a dangerous thing. "I welcome you home. And these, your friends-" Suddenly Annabeth surged forward. Percy began to do the same, and the crowd tensed, many reaching for swords that weren't there.

"Stand down!" Emily shouted. "There's nothing to be worried about." Percy threw his arms around her and the two kissed, lost in their own little world. When they pulled away, Percy studied her face.

"Gods, I never thought-" Annabeth suddenly grabbed his wrist and flipped him over her shoulder.

"Saw that coming," I muttered. He slammed into the stone pavement, Romans crying out and some surging forward.

"Hold! Stand down!" Reyna shouted. Annabeth put her knee on Percy's chest, pushing her forearm against his throat.

"If you ever leave me again, I swear to all the gods…!" Percy, being Percy, laughed.

"Consider me warned," He said, unconcerned. "I missed you too." Annabeth rose and helped him to his feet. Jason cleared his throat.

"So yeah…it's good to be back." He introduced Reyna to Piper, who looked a little miffed that she hadn't gotten to say the lines she'd practicing, then to Leo, who grinned and flashed a peace sign. "And this is Annabeth. Uh, normally she doesn't judo-flip people."

"Have you seen this girl during sparring practice?" I asked. Reyna's eyes sparkled.

"You sure you're not a Roman, Annabeth? Or an Amazon?" Annabeth smiled and held out her hand.

"I only attack my boyfriend like that," She promised. "Pleased to meet you." Reyna clasped her hand firmly.

"It seems we have a lot to discuss. Centurions!" Emily and I stepped forward, standing at attention. The other Roman centurions hustled forward, and Veon walked up, standing straight as well with Zy at his side. Frank and Hazel came to Percy's side, and Annabeth studied them carefully. Hazel was frowning in Leo's direction. Sammy, right. I'd seen his picture back at Hazel's old place back in Alaska. I had to say, they did strike an uncanny resemblance. And Hazel had said that Sammy's last name was Valdez. Clearly Leo was some kind of descendant, but the odds that he and Hazel would meet were suspicious.

"Tell the legion to stand down," Reyna was ordering. "Dakota, alert the spirits in the kitchen. Tell them to prepare a welcome feast. Emily, Audrey and Zytaveon, you can join us in introducing our guests. And Octavian-"

"You're letting these intruders into the camp?" Octavian asked, elbowing his way forward. "Reyna, the security risks-"

"We're not taking them to the camp, Octavian," Reyna said, giving him a stern look. "We'll eat here in the forum.

"Oh, much better," He grumbled. "You want us to relax in the shadow of their warship."

"We could move it, if you want," Emily offered.

"These are our guests," Reyna said sternly, clipping off every word. "We will welcome them, and we will talk to them. As augur, you should burn an offering to thank the gods for bringing Jason back to us safely."

"Good idea," Percy said. "Go burn your bears, Octavian." I smiled, and I could tell Reyna was suppressing one as well.

"You have my orders. Go." The officers dispersed. Octavian shot Percy a look of absolute loathing, giving Annabeth a suspicious once-over before stalking away. Percy slipped his hand into Annabeth's.

"Don't worry about Octavian. Most of the Romans are good people - like Frank and Hazel here, and Reyna. We'll be fine." I suddenly felt this chill run down my neck, and a whispering laughter, almost too faint to be heard, but it definitely was there, and it sent a chill down my spine. I looked to Zy, who nodded. I wondered if she meant that what I felt was real, or whether she had it covered. I hoped for the latter.

"We'll be fine," Annabeth repeated.

"Excellent," Reyna said, turning to Jason, and I felt sorry for her when I saw her eyes seem to brighten at the sight of him. "Let's talk, and we can have a proper reunion." Sets of couches and low tables were carted into the forum until it resembled a furniture showroom, and then the Romans settled in like they would at the dining hall, lounging in groups of ten or twenty, talking and laughing while aurae swirled overhead, bringing an endless assortment of pizzas, sandwiches, chips, cold drinks, and fresh baked cookies. The Lares in togas and legionnaire armor were drifting through the crowd (quite literally) and around the edges of the feast, the fauns were trotting from table to table, panhandling for food and spare change. In nearby fields, Hannibal and Mrs. O'Leary played tag around the statues of Terminus that lined the city limits.

Percy was offering to take Annabeth around, just the two of them, which they honestly deserved after eight months being apart, considering they'd been dating for only a few months before his disappeared. I saw Annabeth trying not to stare at Percy's SPQR tattoo. Admittedly it was a little different than the necklaces from Camp Half-Blood, but I found myself liking it. It was kinda cool to be a part of the tough and powerful Roman camp. The Greek camp was friendly and open, without the pressure here in the legion. The legion had more organization and therefore more power, but the Greek's improvisation tactic kept them from being predictable in battle. They were different, but I enjoyed being a part of both cultures.

Reyna called a toast to friendship, and I was glad she was with us on making peace talks. After introductions all around, the Romans and Greeks began exchanging stories. Jason explained how he'd arrived at Camp Half-Blood without his memory, and how he'd gone on a quest with Piper, Leo and Zy's team to rescue the goddess, Hera (or Juno if you want) from imprisonment at the Wolf House in northern California.

"Impossible!" Octavian broke in. "That's our most sacred place. If giants had imprisoned a goddess there-"

"They would've destroyed her," Piper said. "And blamed it on the Greeks, and started a war between the camps. Now, be quiet and let Jason finish." Octavian opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Man, I've missed Piper's full blown charm speak. Emily wasn't bad, but her power over charm speak was a lot more limited without Piper by her side. Emily was powerful though, even without a potent charm speak. Reyna was looking back and forth between Jason and Piper, her brow creasing, as if she just began to realize the two of them were a couple.

"So," Jason continued. "That's how we found out about the earth goddess Gaea. She's still half asleep, but she's the one freeing the monsters from Tartarus and raising the giants. Porphyrion, the big leader dude we fought at the Wolf House, said he was retreating to the ancient lands - Greece itself. He plans on awakening Gaea and destroying the gods by…what did he call it? Pulling up their roots." Percy nodded thoughtfully.

"Gaea's been busy over here too. We had our own encounter with Queen Dirt Face." Percy recounted his story. He started with waking up in the Wolf House with no memories except for one name - Annabeth.

"Wait, so you remembered Annabeth from the beginning?" I asked. "When was I informed of this?"

"He kept it to himself," Zy said. "He had his reasons. He couldn't be sure who she was at the time, but he knew that he didn't want to lose the only memory he had. So he kept it inside. Amnesia is a dangerous thing to toy with, especially if it's all that's keeping you alive, considering Percy's Greek nature in a Roman camp. I'd say he did well enough here though." Percy explained how he'd traveled to Alaska with Frank, Hazel and our team, defeated the giant Alcyoneus, freed the death god Thanatos, and returned with the lost golden eagle standard of the Roman camp to repel an attack by the giant's army.

"Which reminds me, Leo, I needed your help to come up with a name for Polybotes," I said. "He and Alcyoneus were hard to insult, you know. Enchiladas and Porcupine were easy."

"I'd say you don't need one now," Veon said. "You beat up Polybotes already. Audrey freaking made the big guy tumble with one attack, and Percy destroyed him with a plan of using Terminus since he was a god." Jason whistled appreciatively.

"No wonder they made you praetor." Octavian snorted.

"Which means we now have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two!"

"On the bright side, both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian, so we can both tell you to shut up." Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump. Yeah, those two were gonna get along great. Even Reyna managed a smile, though her eyes were stormy.

"We'll have to figure out the extra praetor problem later," She said. "Right now we have more serious issues to deal with."

"I'll step aside for Jason. It's no biggie."

"No biggie?" Octavian choked. "The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?"

"He's willing to stand down for someone he knows is more experienced than him," Zy said. "He's a gracious and humble leader. I'd choose someone like him for praetor any day over a self-absorbed, power-hungry, loudmouth who's had one too many cups of caffeine, and whose only power seems to be ruling by fear, manipulation, and half-baked prophecies coming from the murder of innocent stuffed animals." She put her cup to her lips. "Hypothetically speaking of course." She took a drink and Percy moved the conversation on, turning to Jason.

"You're Thalia Grace's brother, huh? Wow. You guys look nothing alike."

"Yeah, I noticed," Jason said. "Anyway, thanks for helping my camp while I was gone. You did an awesome job."

"Back at you." Annabeth kicked his shin.

"We should talk about the Great Prophecy. It sounds like the Romans are aware of it too?" Reyna nodded.

"We call it the Prophecy of Seven. Octavian, you have it committed to memory?"

"Of course," He said. "But, Reyna-"

"Recite it please. In English, not Latin." Octavian sighed.

"Seven half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall-"

"An oath to keep with a final breath," Annabeth continued. "And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death." Everyone stared at her - except for Leo, who had constructed a pinwheel out of aluminum foil taco wrappers and was sticking it into passing wind spirits, and Zy, who was staring at her drink and swirling it around. Veon, Emily and I weren't concerned, but there was some kind of tension with the others. Frank sat forward, staring at her in fascination as if she'd grown a third eye.

"Is it true you're a child of Min - I mean, Athena?"

"Yes, why is that such a surprise?" Octavian scoffed.

"If you're truly a child of the wisdom goddess-"

"Enough," Reyna snapped. "Annabeth is what she says. She's here in peace. Besides…" She gave Annabeth a look of grudging respect. "Percy has spoken highly of you." Percy looked down, suddenly interested in his cheeseburger. Uh…did Reyna…? And Percy turned her down for…okay…so that explained the weird tinge of tension and bitterness, maybe even envy in her words.

"Uh, thanks," Annabeth told Reyna. "At any rate, some of the prophecy is becoming clear. Foes bearing arms to the Doors of Death…that means Romans and Greeks. We have to combine forces to find those doors." Hazel picked up a large ruby next to her plate and quickly slipped into the pocket of her denim shirt.

"My brother, Nico, went looking for the doors," She said.

"Wait, Nico di Angelo?" Annabeth asked. "He's your brother?" Hazel nodded. Oh, right, we hadn't told anyone about Nico's going between camps for safety's sake. As far as everyone at Camp Half-Blood was concerned, Nico wasn't involved in our trip to Camp Jupiter. "Okay, you were saying?"

"He disappeared." Hazel moistened her lips. "I'm afraid…I'm not sure, but I think something's happened to him."

"I'm sure going for the Doors of Death alone was dangerous," Veon said. "Not to mention the fact that he went alone. He should've gone with backup, or he should've just waited for us. I had some dreams, and they've shown him in Tartarus before he was captured by Gaea's forces. Dirt Face herself confirmed that she'd captured him, and I worry what she has planned for him."

"We'll look for him," Percy promised. "We have to find the Doors of Death anyway. Thanatos told us we'd find both answers in Rome - like, the original Rome. That's on the way to Greece, right?"

"Thanatos told you this?" Annabeth asked. "The death god?" Percy took a bite of his burger.

"Now that Death is free, monsters will disintegrate and return to Tartarus again like they used to. But as long as the Doors of Death are open, they'll just keep coming back."

"At least we've slowed the process immensely," Veon said. "The Doors of Death are obviously limited, so Gaea's now got some sorting to do if the Doors are the only way to get dead monsters back to the living world. It's still a dangerously effective method, but at least monsters aren't instantly coming back the moment you kill them. Still, we leave the Doors open, and monsters can return eventually." Piper twisted the feather in her hair.

"Like water leaking through a dam," She suggested. I smiled.

"Yeah, we've got a dam hole," Percy and I said together.

"What?"

"Nothing, inside joke," We said before looking to each other. "Stop that. Stop it. No, you stop it." Both of us were quiet for a moment. "Thank you. Stop that!"

"Okay, seems you two are getting along great," Zy said. "The point is, you'll have to find the doors and close them before we can head to Greece. It's the only way we'll stand a chance of defeating the giants and making sure they stay defeated." Reyna plucked an apple from a passing fruit tray, turning it in her fingers, studying the dark red surface.

"You propose an expedition to Greece in your warship. You do realize that the ancient lands - and the Mare Nostrum - are dangerous?"

"Mary who?" Leo asked.

"Mare Nostrum," Jason explained. "Our sea. It's what the Ancient Romans called the Mediterranean." Reyna nodded.

"The territory that was once the Roman Empire is not only the birthplace of the gods. It's also the ancestral home of the monsters, Titans and giants…and worse things. As dangerous as travel is for demigods here in America, there it would be ten times worse."

"You said Alaska would be bad," Percy reminded her. "We survived that." Reyna shook her head, her fingernails cutting little crescents into the apple as she turned it.

"Percy, traveling in the Mediterranean is a different level of danger altogether. It's been off limits to Roman demigods for centuries. No hero in his right mind would go there."

"Then we're good!" Leo said, grinning over the top of his pinwheel. "Because we're all crazy, right?"

"He's got a point there," I said.

"Besides, the Argo II is a top-of-the-line warship. She'll get us through."

"And my team is joining you for that exact purpose," Zy said. "Our job is to protect you and make sure this Great Prophecy comes to pass. This war threatens the gods, and so I am taking the initiative instead of sitting and hoping for the best."

"We have to hurry," Jason added. "I don't know exactly what the giants are planning, but Gaea is growing more conscious all the time. She's invading dreams, appearing in weird places, summoning more and more powerful monsters. We have to stop the giants before they can wake her up fully." Annabeth shuddered at the thought.

"Seven half-bloods must answer the call," She said. "It needs to be a mix from both our camps."

"Jason, Piper, Leo and Annabeth are four," Emily said. "And then Percy, Hazel and Frank. That's seven. Our team doesn't count, so it makes sense."

"What?!" Octavian asked, shooting to his feet. "We're just supposed to accept that?! Without a vote in the senate?! Without proper debate?! Without-?!"

"There's no time," Zy said. "Besides, what you humans assume is the proper seven may not be who the seven actually are. If you need godly override, here I am. These are the seven of the Great Prophecy: Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque, and Frank Zhang. Are we clear? Now please, be a dear and shut your mouth."

"Percy!" Someone called. Tyson the Cyclops bounded toward us with Mrs. O'Leary at his heels, and on the hellhound's back was Ella the harpy. Tyson stopped by our couch and wrung his meaty hands, his big brown eye full of concern. "Ella is scared."

"N-n-no more boats," The harpy muttered to herself, picking furiously at her feathers. "Titanic, Lusitania, Pax…boats are not for harpies." Leo squinted and looked to Hazel who was seated next to him.

"Did that chicken girl just compare my ship to the Titanic?"

"She's not a chicken," Veon said, Hazel averting her eyes from Leo. "Ella's a harpy. She's just a little…high-strung."

"Ella is pretty," Tyson said. "And scared. We need to take her away, but she will not go by ship."

"No ships," Ella repeated. She looked straight to Annabeth. "Bad luck. There she is. Wisdom's daughter walks alone-"

"Ella!" Frank said, standing suddenly. "Maybe it's not the best time-"

"The Mark of Athena burns through Rome," Ella continued, cupping her hands over her ears and raising her voice. "Twins snuff out the angel's breath, Who holds the key to endless death. Giants' bane stands gold and pale, Won through pain from a woven jail." Veon's glass cup suddenly shattered, and he was staring at the table in shock. Zy quickly grabbed the shards and took his hand, muttering things quietly to him. Everyone else was in our cluster was silent, even though the sounds of the feast continued around us.

"I know," I said quickly. "How about you take Ella to get some fresh air? You and Mrs. O'Leary-"

"Hold on," Octavian said, gripping one of his teddy bears, strangling it with his shaking hands as he fixed his eyes on Ella. "What was that she said? It sounded like-"

"Ella reads a lot," Emily blurted. "We found her at a library. That was probably just something she read in a book."

"Books," Ella muttered helpfully. "Ella likes books." Now that she'd said her piece, the harpy seemed more relaxed, sitting cross-legged on Mrs. O'Leary's back, preening her wings.

"That was a prophecy," Octavian insisted. "It sounded like a prophecy."

"Anything could be a prophecy to you, huh?" Zy said casually. "Seriously, you humans would find a Shakespearian sonnet a prophecy."

"Really Octavian?" Annabeth asked, forcing out her casual tone. "Maybe harpies are different here, on the Roman side. Ours have just enough intelligence to clean cabins and cook lunches. Do yours usually foretell the future? Do you consult them for your auguries?" Her words had the intended effect as the Romans officers laughed nervously. Some sized up Ella, and then looked to Octavian before snorting. Apparently the idea of a chicken lady issuing prophecies was just as ridiculous to Romans as it was to Greeks.

"I, uh…" Octavian stuttered, dropping his teddy bear. "No, but-"

"She's just spouting lines from some book," I said. "Besides, don't we already have a real prophecy to worry about?" Annabeth turned to Tyson.

"Audrey's right. You should take Ella and Mrs. O'Leary and shadow-travel somewhere for a while. Is Ella okay with that?"

"'Large dogs are good,'" Ella said. "Old Yeller, 1957, screenplay by Fred Gipson and William Tunberg."

"Great!" Percy said. "We'll Iris-message you guys when we're done and catch up with you later." The Romans looked to Reyna, waiting for her ruling. Reyna had an excellent poker face, studying Ella.

"Fine," The praetor said at last. "Go."

"Yeah!" Tyson said, going around the couches and giving everyone a big hug - even Octavian, who didn't look happy about it. Then he climbed on Mrs. O'Leary's back with Ella, and the hellhound bounded out of the forum. They dove straight into a shadow on the Senate House wall and disappeared.

"Well," Reyna said, setting down her uneaten apple. "Octavian is right about one thing. We must gain the senate's approval before we let any of our legionnaires go on a quest - especially one as dangerous as you're suggesting."

"Right, Romans and their senates," Zy muttered.

"This whole thing smells of treachery," Octavian grumbled. "That trireme is not a ship of peace!"

"Come aboard, man," Leo offered. "I'll give you a tour. You can steer the boat, and if you're really good, I'll give you a little paper captain's hat to wear." Octavian's nostrils flared.

"How dare you-?!"

"It's a good idea," Reyna said. "Octavian, go with him. See the ship. We'll convene a senate meeting in one hour."

"But…" Octavian stopped. Apparently he could tell from Reyna's expression that further arguing would not be good for his health. "Fine." Leo stood, and just for a moment, I swore I saw someone else standing in Leo's place, smiling coldly with a cruel light in his eyes. I blinked and Leo was just regular old Leo again, with his usual impish grin.

"Back soon," He promised. "This is gonna be epic."

"Uh, I'll go with them," I said. "I'll watch over them, for hopefully obvious reasons." I joined them in climbing up the rope ladder. Whatever was happening to Leo couldn't be a good omen. We were walking onto a warship that Leo is an expert at controlling. If Gaea intervened during today, everything between the Greeks and Romans will come crumbling down. With Octavian here, he'll probably fire the ballistae then blame it on the Greeks just to start the war. Maybe Octavian was working for Gaea, or she's been silently influencing him without his knowledge. And whatever's happening to Leo…well, it wouldn't be wise to leave these two alone on an armed warship during shaky peace talks.

All I could hope was that I'd be enough to stop things from happening. It was clear that Zy understood the situation, but even her override seemed shaky when things were going so sideways. We needed to just go on the quest, who cares about senate meetings? The threat is right there in front of them. Weren't Romans the kind of people that attacked first, asked questions later? We needed to move right now before anything got worse between Greeks and Romans. Romans and their rules. If we could just leave on this high note, the war with Gaea would be so much easier already. Of course, the curse of a demigod continues, and it was never going to be that simple.